NAIA Terminal 5 will soon rise to ease congestion

This article was first published on May 24, 2014.

Aviation Updates Philippines - The Philippine government is planning to build another passenger terminal for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). The Terminal 5 project is believed to help minimize flights in the four overused terminals

Aerial view of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Photo by Struzzovolante, Airliners.net

“We are pushing through with NAIA Terminal 5, but we haven’t decided on the structure of the project yet,” Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya told the BusinessMirror in a text message.

The new terminal is planned to be constructed near Terminal 3. Currently, NAIA T3 is being rehabilitated for a better experience for passengers transiting through Manila. There recently has been a report of a woman fainting due to the 'desert-like' heat in NAIA.

On the other hand, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) chief Ramon Ang said it plans to build another runway and a huge international airport that can supposedly beat Changi and Hong Kong airports. The proposed runway will be built beside Runway 06-24 with dimensions of 2,100m x 60m long, enough for a single-aisle Airbus A320-200 to take-off and land.

Ang's planned airport will be equipped with four Airbus A380-capable runways. Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific's chief, revealed he considers partnering with SMC for the construction of the proposed brand-new airport.

For Terminal 1 to be fully rehabilitated, five international carriers chose to transfer to the relatively new Terminal 3. Both terminals are currently being rehabilitated. Starting August this year, KLM, Delta, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific will fully shift their operations to the terminal.

The Terminal 3 renovation includes improvements in baggage handling, flight information displays, computer terminals, gate coordination, and fire protection systems, among others, to allow a faster and more pleasant passenger experience in NAIA.